CSU Rams for Butler, against UConn

When “One Shining Moment” concludes with cutting down the nets, there will be only one basketball drama worth noting in the country.

Who will succeed Lon Kruger at UNLV?

Or, whose name won’t be thrown out there?

Colorado State coach Tim Miles made such a good impression on the Mountain West media outlets his name was on the extensive preliminary list of speculation in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. CSU’s biggest win was at UNLV. If not for a late season slide, I suspect Miles’ name would appear on several “hot lists.”

The official for-attribution quote is he never discusses other jobs. After the basketball coaches’ meetings, Miles left Houston for an outing with the CSU golf team in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Miles was however, on the record (and his Twitter broadcasts) amused by his ever-precocious 6-year-old son Gabe’s take on the Final Four. “We’re cheering for the Butlers, right Dad?”

CSU has plenty of reason to cheer on Butler. Of course, the Rams would cheer for any underdog from any conference outside of the six so-called power conferences (although the MWC was rated fourth in conference RPI this season).

Some long-time observers recall how UConn athletic director Jeff Hathaway made a pit stop in Fort Collins. He wined and dined potential donors for a year and a half before catching the first plane back to the Big East school.

And is anyone really sorry the UConn women’s dynasty didn’t make it to the championship game? Remember, Hathaway made the coaching hire that sent that once-proud CSU women’s basketball into oblivion.

Five reasons why Knight makes sense:
1. He could coach against former player Steve Alford at New Mexico
2. He could keep his all-time coaching win mark ahead of Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.
3. He could taunt Jerry Tarkanian with his hairline.
4. Between the bars, restaurants, slot machines and blackjack tables, there’s an endless supply of chairs to throw.
5. Unlike a Hoosier, no one has to ask ‘what is a Runnin’ Rebel?”